Get Off The Couch: One Sound, RiverRocks, 3 Sisters this week

September 30th, 2013by Lisa Denton and Barry Rose in Life Entertainment

LISA DENTON: Barry, there's an event coming up at Miller Plaza that I think we need to join. It's part of the weekly Fresh on Fridays series the River City Co. folks put on. They're calling this week's installment One Sound. But since all the lunchtime gatherers are supposed to bring their own instruments, I'm not sure how unified that sound will be.

I wonder if the high-falutin' musicians would mind if I showed up with my kazoo. There's a guy at my church who plays spoons, but I haven't mastered that yet. Spoons just naturally gravitate toward my mouth, not my knee.

BARRY COURTER: I understand why you wouldn't bring your tambourine after that hip injury the last time you played one. I'd have to bring a radio, since that is the only musical instrument I can play, and I struggle with it. It's a neat idea, though, and a good way to leave the work week behind and get your weekend started.

Speaking of weekends, RiverRocks kicks off this weekend and, on Saturday, folks can check out the RiverRocks Canoe/Kayak Race, which starts at 10:30 a.m. at Ross's Landing, then more or less turn around to take in Day Two of The 3 Sisters Bluegrass Festival. That annual gift to the city from the Fletcher Bright family is not officially part of RiverRocks, but like we do here at the paper when someone in our region does something good, we claim it and brag on them.

LISA: Don't I know it. I keep hoping someone will win the lottery so I can suddenly become their long-lost kin.

The 3 Sisters lineup is impressive, as always, with 11 bands taking the stage over two days. Sam Bush headlines Friday night and the Travelin' McCourys wind things up on Saturday. That's five hours of free bluegrass on Friday and 10 hours on Saturday. If you'll recall, one of my mottoes is: If it's free, it's for me.

BARRY: That's a lot of pickin' and grinnin'. It is free thanks to Fletcher and his children, which is amazing, given the quality of the talent. Also part of RiverRocks this weekend are the Rock/Creek StumpJump 50k & 11-Mile Trail Race on Signal Mountain and the Sequatchie Valley Century bike ride on Saturday morning. These are more participation than spectator events, but you can still find a spot to check out some of the action.

If watching is more your speed, and I know it is for me, on Saturday there are also the RiverRocks SUP (stand-up paddleboarding) at Ross's Landing and the Triple Crown of Bouldering at Stone Fort at Montlake Golf Club.

LISA: If you've got an extra $1,000 lying around and don't mind a little chafing, you can rappel off the SunTrust Bank Building on Thursday. It's called Over the Edge and the money goes to RiverRocks and the local Boy Scouts of America. Well, you could probably make the drop on Wednesday, since that's the day local celebrities are doing it. I'm surprised you didn't get a call.

BARRY: Word is out I demand too high an appearance fee. I don't get it, mind you, but I do OVERSET FOLLOWS:demand it. You wouldn't think a quarter would be a deal breaker, but apparently it is.

LISA: Last year, a bride-to-be took that 20-story plunge days before her wedding. I'm not sure I have enough bloomers to drop 20 stories in a dress. I'm certain I don't have any brown bloomers and, trust me, they'd need to be brown.

BARRY: Chafing would be the least of my worries. Plummeting would be a far greater concern. I kid, but that first step would be a doozy, I imagine.